I think they're meant to be like clawed brass knuckles, basically.

<<So does using the verb "claw" not receive damage bonuses from "hand claws"?

They're not extending out past your fingers, but rather they're spikes on your knuckles.

I.e. This: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/a8/91/b1/a891b126d96a9e6b1d34ef0c7e1619c9.jpg
Not this: http://thecarrotbox.com/news/2009/1218_3.jpg

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<<Does the brawling command affect the damage type that you do? I didn't see that on epedia anywhere.

You can see this in game and on the wiki.
https://elanthipedia.play.net/mediawiki/index.php/Combat_Maneuvers

E.g.
> gouge help full

* Detailed Information *
Gouge is a brawling maneuver.
Gouge tends to be a moderately fatiguing maneuver. Attacking again too soon can make this worse.
Gouge tends to be very balance building.
Gouge is a very quick maneuver, but heavy or unbalanced weapons can slow the attack further.
Gouge is less accurate than most maneuvers, and is best suited to puncture weapons and least suited to both slice and impact weapons.
Gouge temporarily penalizes all defences, but is equally suited to both parry and shield defences and least suited to evasion defences.

Most brawling moves are weighted towards impact, so you get the most bang for your buck with impact based brawling weapons. Also, if you use chain or heavier hand armour you're generally better off not wearing hand brawling gear since the hand armour will likely outperform the gear in terms of damage increase.

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Brawling weapons as whole are poorly designed and don't do much. Kodius is aware of it and I'm sure it's somewhere on his list.

>Fair enough. I hope they do get addressed someday. Here I was all excited about a little Gnome shredding things to bits with hand-claws.<

That's pretty-much the reason "claws" aren't claws in the sense we imagine them. From what I've been told previously on this matter, they didn't want to impinge on the racial bonuses that two races get for having claws.

--Just a Squire

Riveted to the metal is a small copper plaque depicting a shield crossed with a longsword overlaying a field of thirteen stars. Encircling the design are the words, "Many Faces - One God."